To A Year Better Than The Last
by nowriterwrong
Summary: Annabeth Chase is spending New Year's Eve with her mother, who, to Annabeth's frustration, continues to meddle in her love life.


_**This fanfic is dedicated to shelbychild and all of my other friends on tumblr! You made reaching 2016 a possibility for me.**_

* * *

Annabeth sat in the back of the moving car, slightly out of breath, and attempted to reapply her lipstick. In front of her her mother was fussing over her own belongings, her bangles clinking as she searched in her sparkly handbag for her phone.

She placed her lipstick carefully back into her clutch and turned towards the window, ignoring the incessant noise of the jewellery adorning her mothers wrists.

She sighed as she watched the strangers outside of her window setting off for fun nights out — preparing to see in the new year with loved ones, hoping for a kiss at midnight, and definitely planning some new year's resolution that would be forgotten sometime before the 5th.

She thought about her flatmate, Piper, and how excited she always got for New Year's Eve. She cursed under her breath. If Piper knew that she was spending it with her mother, and spending it single of all things, she would have been horrified.

"I'm glad you could come," Athena said.

"Me too." _I might as well be nice_ , Annabeth thought.

Her mother had been so thrilled when she had accepted the invitation. It might have been touching, if it weren't for the constant presence of hidden motives when it came to her mother being nice.

Annabeth was just waiting for the big reveal. It was bound to come soon — she had been with her long enough already, and her mother had barely said a word./p

"Did the new shoes fit?"

Ah, more small talk.

She stretched out one foot. The shoes were dainty, and decorated with an intricate pattern of silver olive branches. The heels made her legs look longer somehow — a real change from the sneakers she usually wore. Vaguely, she wished that she had painted her toenails. "Yes," she said, "They're lovely. Thank you."

Her plane into New York had been late. So, instead of having time at home to get ready, she'd had to brazen her way into the airport toilets to change into her evening gown, before running back through the concourse, the length of her dress bunched up in her hand, and jumping into her mother's waiting car.

"Annabeth, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Annabeth tensed. Here it was... the big reveal. She pulled her head up reluctantly — that voice never heralded anything good. "Yes?"

"There's somebody at the party I would like for you to meet."

She closed her eyes and groaned. "Not again, mother. I told you last time."

Her mother spun so fast in her seat that Annabeth had to blink and press herself back into the soft leather of her own. "So you have a boyfriend already?"

"No," Annabeth blew out her cheeks. "Of course not."

She nodded knowingly. "Exactly. You need my help." Athena settled back into her seat. "Besides, he's a nice boy. Suitable enough for you."

"Mother. I don't want 'suitable'."

 _I want butterflies_ , she thought, _I want that tingling sensation that you read about in romance novels. I want somebody who I love and who will love me in return_.

But she daren't say that to her mother. Athena had always made it clear that such things didn't exist. Annabeth straightened out her dress, "I don't need you to choose people for me."

Athena waited for a moment, pursing her lips. "Please, Annabeth, just meet him. You'll like him. I know it."

"How could you possibly know?"

"I know you Annabeth. Trust me. You'll like him."

Annabeth turned to their driver, "Chiron — "

He snorted derisively, "Oh no, Annabeth, I'm staying out of it. This is between you and your mother. I'm just the driver."

No wonder Athena had been so pleased. She'd seen the chance to do some matchmaking and she had taken it. It was as if Annabeth were an inconvenient piece of furniture that needed to be sold off at the nearest opportunity.

Annabeth sat straighter in her seat, folding her arms and glaring out of the window determinedly, "I don't want to meet him."

"You'll do as I tell you, Annabeth." She sighed, "Look, I've met him and his parents, they seem like perfectly nice people. Just, please, give them a chance."

Annabeth intensified her glare. How typical of her mother. She had been so sure of Annabeth's feelings that she had pretty much arranged everything before Annabeth had even met the guy.

"I won't speak to him." She said.

"I've told them you'll be there and that I'll introduce you," said Athena. "So you'll have to speak to him."

Annabeth pursed her lips. She'd see about that.

"You look so beautiful tonight, Annabeth. He'll fall in love with you instantly."

She'd see about that too.

* * *

The dinner party was being held at the house of one of her mothers newest clients. They had been invited as a thank you for designing their new home — the exact home they would be eating at tonight.

They pulled up outside of the newly built house, and, while Chiron helped her mother out of the car, Annabeth stepped out onto the gravel path, looking up at the excessively extravagant house before her. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

The marble columns and large windows were typical of her mothers design. It was a crude mash up of ancient Greek architectural design and the modern contemporary designs of inner city architecture.

She would know the design anywhere. Her mother was always trying to combine the old with the new. And, surprisingly, she always made it work.

"Come along, Annabeth," said Athena. "And don't pout. It lessens you."

Annabeth's scowl deepened. She felt like a child again.

She had no intention of going long with this plan of her mothers. The first thing to do was to get out of this ridiculous princess get-up.

Halfway up the marble steps she stopped and placed her hand on Athena's arm, "Wait, I… forgot my phone. I'll be right back."

Athena shot her a suspicious look and nodded, "I'll be waiting for you."

Thankfully, she was too keen to embrace the warmth of the three story house — she didn't wait too long before disappearing inside.

Annabeth approached the car and smiled fraudulently at Chiron, who stood leaning against the side.

"Could I have the keys for a moment?"

He looked at her curiously but didn't hesitate when he threw the keys to her.

"Go on inside, I won't be long."

That exchange might have seemed weird to most people, but Chiron had always been a parental figure to Annabeth, particularly when her mother was too busy to be around. He was a close friend of Athena's too, so he was invited with them everywhere.

As he made his way indoors, Annabeth threw open the boot of the car and managed to locate her sneakers in the dim light. There wasn't much she could do about the dress, but the shoes could go.

She needed an excuse for changing into them. She could lie, but she was always terrible at it.

A quick search of the boot revealed the toolkit that Chiron always kept there. She pulled out a hammer and removed the shoes from her feet. Grabbing one of them in her hand, she whispered, "I'm sorry," before bringing the hammer down upon it. There was a satisfying crack as the heel came away from the shoe.

She pulled the laces tight on her sneakers and let the dress fall down around them. It was so much warmer wearing these than the high heels. And more comfortable. And far less elegant. She picked up her clutch, locked the car, and marched up the stairs to meet her mother.

* * *

Athena stood in the open entryway, talking to a brown haired woman that Annabeth didn't recognise. Chiron must have already made his way through.

The breeze flowing through the door made her dress flare up around her, leading Athena to spot the change of footwear immediately.

She excused herself from the conversation and grasped Annabeth's arm, steering her to the side "What happened to your shoes?" she hissed.

She tried to look innocent,"One of the heels is broken."

It wasn't a lie.

Athena narrowed her eyes. "Hmm." She stopped and looked back at the brown haired woman, who was now accompanied by two younger men. "There they are."

She took Annabeth's hand, gripping it a little too tightly, "Now, be nice." She set of like a galleon in full sail, with Annabeth trailing in her wake.

The small group included the brown haired woman — who Annabeth assumed was her mothers new client and the hostess for the evening — and the two men. One of them was tall with closely cropped blonde hair and sharp blue eyes — he looked reliable. He looked safe. Easily the kind of guy her mother would think of as "suitable".

The other guy wore a pristine white shirt, with the two top buttons undone, and a fitted black blazer. He had an aura of suppressed amusement about him, as though he were about to burst into laughter. He seemed to carry knowledge of a hidden joke that none of us were in on.

He looked at her from head to toe, spotted her shoes and looked up again. Annabeth looked away.

"Annabeth, this is Sally Jackson."

Athena's client greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a lavender scented embrace. "Annabeth, so nice to finally meet you."

Athena took up the remainder of the introductions. "This is Jason," she said, indicating the blond. "He's a defence attorney at the New York Supreme Court."

He nodded, "Hi. Nice to meet you."

"You too."

They shook hands. There was an awkward pause. Annabeth looked at Athena. No one introduced her to the other guy. He gave her a friendly nod and continued to fight the grin that was seemingly forming on his face.

"So," Jason said. "I hear you work at your mothers architecture firm."

"That's right." Annabeth longed for a means to escape, but how do you possibly escape in somebody else's home?

Jason cleared his throat, preparing to speak again. Thankfully, a door on the other side of the entryway opened and a broad, dark haired man stepped through.

"Come along now, Sally, invite our guests through."

* * *

Athena and Sally engineered things so that Annabeth conveniently sat next to Jason at the table. From across the table, Athena made encouraging head movements. Annabeth sighed and the guy who Athena hadn't taken the time to introduce sat down on her other side.

He leaned in close to her, his breath stirring her hair, "Hi," he whispered. "I like the shoes."

She looked down at her scruffy sneakers peeking out from underneath the folds of her dress. "Thanks." She lifted her gaze and saw the corners of his mouth twitch. "I'm Annabeth."

"I know," he said. "I'm Percy."

She snorted.

He raised one eyebrow. "Is something funny?"

"Your serious? That's like… that's like one of those names that only work for a certain age group. Like Brittany — have you ever met any old ladies named Brittany?" Annabeth knew she was rambling, but there was something about the intensity of his green eyed stare that gave her a tingling sensation along the ridges of her spine. "And, Percy? Well, that's like.. well, that's a child's name, isn't it?"

He chuckled and sat back, "Well, if it helps at all, my full name is Perseus."

She breathed out a sigh, "Destroyer." She bit her lip, cursing her inner nerd.

"So you know mythology, huh?"

She shrugged, "I read."

She really wanted to turn away and sulk, but the mischievous sparkle in his eyes made it difficult for her to look away. It made her feel like something important was about to happen, and if she looked away she might miss her only chance to see it.

"So you're smart." He said, that same glint in his eye.

"I'd say so. Yes."

"My ideal woman then."

Annabeth couldn't help laughing. She glanced across the table and caught Athena watching her. Good. Percy was the complete opposite to the sort of guy her mother would choose for her.

She was enjoying his company, he was making her laugh. She hadn't laughed a lot recently, so it was nice to be lifted out of the dark.

"So," she said. "What brings you here? You're a friend of the family, right?"

He grinned, "Something like that."

She glanced at him and he laughed.

"I figured I might meet a pretty girl here, if I'm lucky."

"Oh yeah? And how's that working out?"

The look he gave her had a strange intensity. To her surprise, she felt a fluttering in her stomach. She hadn't felt that in years, she realised.

"I don't know," he said. "It's too early to tell."

Annabeth dropped her gaze from his. She didn't want him to see the confusion in them. Her flirting was only supposed to be for fun — a dismal attempt at brightening the evening. She wasn't supposed to actually mean it.

He was fun to talk to. He took her comments with humour, and she noticed that, when he laughed — which was a lot — his face lit up from the inside. There was something about him that made her feel safe. As though nothing in the world would ever hurt her again. She decided that she could get used to that feeling.

Whilst he started talking to the brown haired woman beside him, she took the opportunity to observe him properly. He was handsome, shockingly so. Handsome in a way that was so humble that you didn't notice it right away. She watched him, enchanted, until he looked up and met her eyes with his. He smiled. She looked away, her face suddenly hot.

It got closer and closer to midnight. She looked at her watch: 11:40. The new year was drawing in, and it dawned on her that this was not the way this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be clutching a glass of champagne with frozen fingers, staring up at that crisp black sky, Piper by her side, both of them waiting excitedly for the ball to drop in times square.

This was wrong. This was just another way for the world to tell her what she'd lost.

Athena had already excused herself to use the restroom. If she was going to escape, now was the time to do it. Annabeth excused herself quickly and slipped out of the room, making her way outside and standing at the bottom of the steps out front.

It was freezing outside. Her dress was completely inappropriate.

Cold blanketed her, biting down on her skin. She knew she should go back inside, but she couldn't face it. She wrapped her arms around herself, but it didn't make any difference.

"You'll freeze," said a voice from behind her.

He noticed Annabeth's surprised expression and explained, "When you left I volunteered to see if you were okay," he offered her his jacket. "Here."

She took it and slipped her arms into the sleeves. It smelled faintly of the ocean, and that oddly pleasant smell that came with salt water and sand.

"So… _are_ you okay?" he asked.

It had been one thing talking to Percy in the dining hall, under Athena's annoyed glare. Then she'd been able to relax and let his infectious good humour flow through her. She could even eye him up without getting too close. Things were different out here in the piercing silence of the frosted night. Here, she felt suddenly shy. The pause was awkward.

Percy cleared his throat. "Annabeth?"

"I'm fine."

Another pause.

"What do you hope for in the new year, Annabeth?" He put his hands in his pockets and leant against the column behind him, his face turned up towards the sky.

The answer to that was simple, she thought, "For it to be better than this one."

Her answer left an unspoken question hovering in the air, and it wouldn't have taken much for him to reach up and speak it aloud. But the way in which she had answered told him that some things were better left alone, and so he simply let the silence envelope them.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Percy looked down and drew a breath. "Annabeth. I'd like to see you again." He looked up at the sky again and then back at her. "You know, in the daytime."

Her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed. "Like a date?"

This time, he looked at her properly, his eyes bored into her own, "Like a date."

"I'd like that."

His dimpled smile was magnificent to see. "Can I have your number? I'll call you." He pushed away from the wall. Now that he was standing straight, he was close enough to feel the warmth emanating from him.

She fished her phone out of her little bag. "Why don't I call you and you can save it to your phone."

"Ah. I left my phone in my room."

She rolled her eyes. "What's your number then?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I don't know it?" he said sheepishly.

"Seriously?"

"Well, I don't phone myself that often."

"What do you do when people ask for your number?"

"I usually take theirs and call them so that it comes up on their phone…" The laugh caught his voice mid-sentence.

Annabeth laughed too. "This conversation seems to have gone full circle." She pulled out a pen. "Have you got a piece of paper?"

He checked his pockets and found nothing. "I could go an get something…" He turned as though to leave, and then turned back. He held out his bare forearm, "Write it on there."

She raised her eyebrows at him.

He raised his back.

With a sigh that she hoped sounded exasperated, she steadied his arm with one hand and wrote on it with the other. In the cold night air, his arm felt warm and comforting. She finished the number with a full stop and looked up. He had been watching her write. His face was close enough for her to look into his eyes. The want in them made her catch her breath. They stood there for a moment, too close for any one to assume this was merely friendship. And then he closed the gap between them.

It wasn't an extraordinarily long kiss, but it was a kiss to be remembered.

She felt giddy, as though the world had tilted on its axis. Her blood roared and every nerve ending in her body tingled. Annabeth brought her hand up to his face, her fingertips stroking along his jawline before curling into the hair at the nape of his neck. His breath caught at her touch. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, colliding their bodies together until there was zero space left between them. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin material of her dress. A glow started somewhere in the depth of Annabeth's stomach and warmed her up from head to toe. When they drew apart, she no longer noticed the cold.

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Annabeth?" Athena's voice cut through the still night air.

Annabeth shoved Percy away gently, and he disappeared into the shadows along the side of the house, chuckling as he went.

"What are you doing out there? You'll freeze."

"I just need some air." Annabeth went back inside, hoping that Percy had the sense to stay outside for a while longer. Athena would be horrified if she found out that instead of talking to the respectable, well groomed Jason, Annabeth had been kissing the scruffy looking marine biologist that she hadn't even bothered to introduce.

Athena's plan had gone wrong. It couldn't have gone more wrong, in fact. Her mother would be disappointed when she found out. She almost felt sorry for her.

"What have you been doing out there?"Athena sniffed.

"Nothing, mother."

"Whose jacket is that?"

Jeez. Athena was like a Rottweiler when she was suspicious.

"It's mine," Percy stepped in, shutting the front door behind him.

Oh great. Well, that just ruined everything. What was he _doing_?

"We were talking," Annabeth said quickly. "He lent me his coat. Wasn't that kind? Look." She pointed to the coat, hoping that kindness would soften the blow.

Athena turned towards Percy, who was looking uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked apologetic. Perhaps he was feeling sorry for Athena too.

Except… he wasn't looking at Athena. He was looking at Annabeth.

"Actually," said Percy. "There's something I need to confess."

His eyebrows were knitted with worry. The eyes that had looked at her with such hunger a few minutes ago, looked wary now. Frightened, almost.

Fear clamoured in her chest. What could he possibly have to confess? He was married? He had a girlfriend he was cheating on? At least he was confessing now and not leaving his girlfriend to find some evidence of the other woman.

Annabeth felt her heart slide into her sneakers. The cold outside was nothing to the chill she felt now.

Athena turned back. The Annabeth's surprise, she was smiling. "I knew it would work. See, I told you I knew what sort of man would be ideal for you."

Annabeth blinked, her thoughts momentarily derailed. Athena was less painful to deal with than Percy. She moved her focus. "Mother, what are you talking about? I didn't like Jason."

Athena waved a hand. "Oh, him? He wasn't the person you were supposed to meet tonight. I knew you would be stubborn and refuse to talk to whomever I introduced you to, so I arranged a decoy."

"A decoy?" Annabeth looked at Percy. Realisation dawned. She had been set up. "Was that what you wanted to confess? That you were in on it." She looked directly at Percy. He nodded and she watched his adams apple bob. Annoyance and relief battled for leadership inside of her. "But why?"

"If we hadn't, you wouldn't have talked to him," said Athena. She was stilling smiling, and looking a little smug. "Now, come on," she checked her watch. "It's almost the New Year."

Athena made her way back into the dining room, and Percy touched her arm. "Are you okay?"

She didn't know what to think. He had lied to her. But, if he hadn't, they wouldn't have talked and that kiss… that kiss would never have happened. "You lied to me."

He winced. "Only a little bit. And I came clean." His hand moved down to take hers. "It was the only way to get you to talk to me. At least that's what your mother said." He smiled ruefully. "And she can be a very persuasive woman."

This thawed her completely. She knew exactly what her mother could be like, and she'd had a lifetime to learn how to deal with it. Percy never stood a chance. "She can." A smile threatened to rise to her face. She tried to suppress it.

"Am I forgiven then?" He touched her hand hesitantly.

The thrill of his hand in hers took Annabeth by surprise. It was as though her heart and body had decided something well before her head had done.

"I wanted to tell you, but we got talking and then it was too late," said Percy.

So, he lied. A bit. So, she'd been set up. All it really meant was that this man she liked was also a man her mother approved of. And he's barely even lied.

Besides, if just the feel of his hand was making her buzz like this, what would it be like to kiss him again?

"I — " he began.

She interrupted him with a kiss. Her lips pressed firmly against his and arms wrapped around his neck. He kissed her back and the world tilted again. That was not wrong. Oh no. Nothing that made her heart pound like this could ever be considered wrong.

When their lips parted, he had the most magnificent smile on his face.

"Just don't lie to me again," she said, her arms still entwined around his neck.

He pressed his forehead against her own, "I promise."

He tried to kiss her again, but she dodged it and stepped back, "Come on. It's time to face a new year."

She threw his jacket at him and disappeared into the room. The smile that she'd been fighting down finally made it out. As she made her way across the room to her mother and Chiron and the big glass window, she felt, rather than saw, Percy enter the room behind her.

She stood with her family as the countdown to the new year started. She thought about Percy's kiss and her lips tingled with the thought. It promised to be an interesting year.

On impulse, Annabeth leaned over and gave her mother a hug. Athena touched a hand to the side of Annabeth's head and kissed her cheek.

She sneaked a glance at Percy and he came to stand next to her, bringing Sally and Jason with him. She smiled at Jason and Sally, it was clear now that they had all been in on it. That explained Jason's awkwardness, and Sally's insistence that it was nice to "finally" meet Annabeth.

Chiron noticed Percy and gave him a nod of acknowledgement, and Percy smiled back. As Chiron turned back to watch the fireworks, Percy took his place beside Annabeth.

His fingers touched hers, but he didn't put his arm around her or create too much contact between them. He understood the need for discretion. It would be a refreshing change to date someone she liked and her parents approved of.

Percy's fingers caressed her palm, igniting every nerve inside of her body. Annabeth looked across at Percy and smiled.

She clasped his hand in her own. The clock struck midnight and the sky above their heads exploded into a brilliant, kaleidoscopic array of coloured sparks.

Yes. This year would be different. This year would be better.


End file.
